Air register



April 1963 M. c. DOOLITTLE 3,086,443

AIR REGISTER Filed Feb. 25, 1960 I N V ENTOR MARCUS C. DOOLITTLE ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,086,443 AIR REGISTER Marcus C. Doolittle, La Crosse, Wis., asslgnor to The Trane Company, La Crosse, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Feb. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 10,994 3 Claims. (Cl. 98-121) This invention relates generally to an air register with fixed louvers and more particularly to an air register in which the louvers are mechanically interlocked.

Air registers of this type generally are constructed with individual blades which are mounted individually in the frame member by spot welding or tabbing to secure them into proper position in the frame. Such tabbing or spot welding requires a considerable amount of time and produces a structure which is expensive to manufacture and may be readily damaged.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an air register which is inexpensive to manufacture and is durable in construction.

A second object of the invention is to provide an air register in which the louvers are interlocked into a subassembly before insertion in the frame member thereby producing a more durable air register which is less ex.- pensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air register which has sufficient free area for the flow of air therethrough and at the same time prevents the passage through the register of light, rain, birds, or any large foreign material.

A fourth object of the invention is to provide an air register which employs louvers which are of one piece construction and are provided with tabs and notches so that one louver may be attached to the next adjacent louver to form a series of interlocked louvers to form an air register sub-assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of my new and improved air register;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the air register shown in FIG. 1 with the frame broken away to show the block off channel member;

FIG. 3 is partial view of enlarged scale showing the positions of the louvers in the frame member circled in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view on line 44 of FIG. 1 with the frame partially broken away;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view on a larger scale showing two of the louvers in assembled relationship with a third louver about to be interlocked with the first two louvers; and

FIG. 6 is a partial view of one louver before it is formed into shape for assembly.

Primarily, my new and improved air register is used to allow air to enter an enclosure from the atmosphere but obviously such use is merely preferred and does not constitute a limitation as to the application of my air register. As an example, my new and improved louver will perform equally well as a door register, if desired.

Looking now at FIG. 1, my new and improved air register 10 basically consists of a series of right angle or L shaped louvers 12 interlocked to each other and secured within channel shaped frame members 14 and 16. A plurality of slots 18 are provided in frame member 14 to allow any accumulated water in frame member 14 to drain out. A channel member 20 is provided atop louvers 12 and within frame 16 to prevent bypass of air "ice through the frame member and also to prevent rain from being driven up and over the louver members into the enclosure.

Looking now at FIG. 6, the upper half of a louver 12 is shown before forming of the lauver into position for assembly. The lower half of louver 12 being of the same construction as the upper half. Louver 12 basical- 1y consists of a body portion 22, body extensions 24, looking recesses 26, and locking tabs or projections 28. Locking tabs or projections 28 have a bearing surface 30, notch 32, and tab extension 34 formed therein.

In assembling the air register, tab members 28 are bent perpendicular on lines 38 to body portions 22 and then louvers 12 are bent on line 36 so that body portions 22 form a angle with one another. After the louvers are formed, they are pre-assembled into proper lengths. This is accomplished by forcing one body portion against, the other until the tab extensions 34 on the upper and lower half of the louver 12 slip past the body extensions 24 and project into the locking recesses 26 and engage the inner wall 40 of the body extensions 24. At the time, bearing surface 30 will bear against the body extension 24. This is repeated for the number of blades desired. It is obvious that each louver is locked into position with the next adjacent louver. It should be noted that tab extensions 34 prevent movement of the louvers 12 in a plane parallel to the long side of the louver. Looking at FIGS. 4 and 5, it readily is seen that if the louvers 12 tend to spring outward that tab extensions 34 resist this movement and if the louvers tend to be compressed that, bearing surfaces 30 tend to resist this other movement. This resistance to movement and interlocking of the louvers is accomplished because the straight line distance between the outer extremities of tab extensions 34 isgreater than the straight line distance between theinner extremities of the body extensions 24 before the louvers 12 are interlocked. As the louvers are pressed together, the louvers are sprung inwardly somewhat to allow the tab extensions 34 to slip into recess 26 and engage inner wall ill of body extensions 24.

After the louvers 12 have been assembled to the desired length, they are placed in frame members 14 and 16. Channel member 20 is then placed between body extensions 24 atop the louver assembly, and the frame members 14 and 1 6 are then tack welded together. To complete the air register construction, several of the louvers are then tack welded to the frame to retain the louver sub-assembly in position. It should be noted that an additional channel member 20 may be used at the bottom of the air register 10 with proper notching for drainage, if desired.

It is obvious that my new and novel air register construction provides an air register which is easily constructed, inexpensive to manufacture, compact, durable, and provides positive locking of the louvers into assembled position. This construction completely eliminated the tedious step of holding individual blades in position and either welding or tabbing same to secure them in position. Further, my construction allows the louver members to be pre-assembled and provides an interlocking means to resist the unintentional disassembly of the blades. Also, my construction provides a construction which allows suflicient air to pass therethru but prevents the passage of light, birds, rain, and large foreign objects.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 comtemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention and I desire to be limited only by the claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece louver for assembly with similar louvers in an air register comprising a resilient sheet having a 8,086,4A3 p a first substantially planar body portion, a second substantially planar body portion making a dihedral angle with said first substantially planar body portion, a projection at each end of each substantially planar body portion and extending substantially normal to the plane of the substantially planar body portion from which it extends, each of said projections having an engaging edge substantially normal to the plane of the substantially planar body portion from which the projection extends, said body portion having a substantially coplanar extension having a longitudinally extending engaging edge at each end, each said body portion edge having an extent in a direction parallel to the intersection of said substantially planar body portions suflicient to receive and support the engaging edge of a projection of a next adjacent louver, said engaging edges and said body portion edges each having cooperating means thereon so positioned that the engaging edges of one louver will normally not pass the body portion edges of the next adjacent louver as the louvers are moved toward each other for assembly with the dihedral angles of the louvers similarly directed, substantially coextensive and facing in the same direction, said engaging edges and said body portion edges being so positioned that a force resiliently deforming one of the louvers to change its dihedral angle will allow the louvers to be moved toward each other so that said cooperating means of said one louver engage the cooperating means of the body portion edges of the next adjacent louver, whereby upon release of the deforming force, the engaging edge of each louver will frictionally engage and be interlocked with the body portion edges of the next adjacent louver.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein one of said cooperating means has a bearing surface at a lesser distance from the planar body portion than the outer extremity of said engaging edge of the other cooperating means, said bearing surface being adapted to abut the planar body portion of the next adjacent louver to limit the minimum spacing between one louver and a next adjacent louver.

3. A one-piece louver for assembly with similar louvers in an air register comprising a resilient sheet having a first substantially planar body portion, a second substantially planar body portion making a dihedral angle with said first substantially planar body portion, a projection at each end of each substantially planar body portion and extending substantially normal to the plane of the substantially planar body portion from which it extends, each of said projections having an engaging edge substantially normal to the plane of the substantially planar body portion from which the projection extends, said planar body portion having a substantially coplanar extension having a longitudinally extending engaging edge at each end, each said body portion edge extending substantially parallel to the intersection of said substantially planar body portions and adapted to abut the engaging edge of a projection of a next adjacent louver, said engaging edges and said body portion edges each having cooperating means thereon so positioned that the engaging edges of one louver will not normally pass the body portion of a next adjacent louver as the louvers are moved toward each other for assembly with the dihedral angles of the louvers similarly directed, substantially coextensive and facing in the same direction, said engaging edges and said body portion edges being so positioned that a force resiliently deforming one of the louvers to change its dihedral angle will allow the louvers to be moved toward each other so that said cooperating means of said one louver engage the cooperating means of the body portion edges of a next adjacent louver, whereby upon release of the deforming force, the engaging edge of each louver will frictionally engage and be interlocked with the body portion coplanar edge of the next adjacent louver.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,113 Wine Jan. 19, 1926 2,835,001 Matthews May 20, 1958 2,987,985 Johnson June 13, 1961 

1. A ONE-PIECE LOUVER FOR ASSEMBLY WITH SIMILAR LOUVERS IN AN AIR REGISTER COMPRISING A RESILIENT SHEET HAVING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTION, A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTION MAKING A DIHEDRAL ANGLE WITH SAID FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTION, A PROJECTION AT EACH END OF EACH SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTION AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTION FROM WHICH IT EXTENDS, EACH OF SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING AN ENGAGING EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTION FROM WHICH THE PROJECTION EXTENDS, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR EXTENSION HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ENGAGING EDGE AT EACH END, EACH SAID BODY PORTION EDGE HAVING AN EXTENT IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BODY PORTIONS SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT THE ENGAGING EDGE OF A PROJECTION OF A NEXT ADJACENT LOUVER, SAID ENGAGING EDGES AND SAID BODY PORTION EDGES EACH HAVING COOPERATING MEANS THEREON SO POSITIONED THAT THE ENGAGING EDGES OF ONE LOUVER WILL NORMALLY NOT PASS THE BODY PORTION EDGES OF THE NEXT ADJACENT LOUVER AS THE LOUVERS ARE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR ASSEMBLY WITH THE DIHEDRAL ANGLES OF THE LOUVERS SIMILARLY DIRECTED, SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE AND FACING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, SAID ENGAGING EDGES AND SAID BODY PORTION EDGES BEING SO POSITIONED THAT A FORCE RESILIENTLY DEFORMING ONE OF THE LOUVERS TO CHANGE ITS DIHEDRAL ANGLE WILL ALLOW THE LOUVERS TO BE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER SO THAT SAID COOPERATING MEANS OF SAID ONE LOUVER ENGAGE THE COOPERATING MEANS OF THE BODY PORTION EDGES OF THE NEXT ADJACENT LOUVER, WHEREBY UPON RELEASE OF THE DEFORMING FORCE, THE ENGAGING EDGE OF EACH LOUVER WILL FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE AND BE INTERLOCKED WITH THE BODY PORTION EDGES OF THE NEXT ADJACENT LOUVER. 